Comparative Worship

A detailed Summary of Comparative Worship

Topic: Comparative study of Charismatic and United Methodist worship tradition, and address the following topic: How are the two style of worship similar? How are they different?

Descriptive Thesis: This paper will explore the similarities and differences between Charismatic and United Methodist Worship styles. I will introduce the churches I visited and describe their congregation makeup and show that both share resemblance in their ideas and experiences in worship. Then I will show that in spite of their similarities they each bring about very different worship style. I will conclude with a summary of the similarities and differences between them.

Congregational Make up, Worship Styles, and Similarities:

Many of us have grown up all our lives in a single church, and have no idea how church services are like in another church. I think it's important that if one wants to progress beyond being an average worship-leader, one must experience how different churches worship. Often there are a few similarities and many differences. On being exposed to differences, you may dismiss these with a general "too charismatic" or "too conservative". With both, you run the risk of throwing away large portions of our Christian worship tra

dition. You run the risk of stagnating in your own acquired concepts of what worship is.

Similarities were evident at both Montebello Assemble and Ventura First in their worship attitude. In my assessment the worship mind-set or attitude in both places was similar because in both churches the attitude of the worshiper was genuine and true. I know worshipping God is not our music, our clapping, our hymns or whatever because "God is Spirit, and his worshippers must worship him in spirit and in truth" John. 4:24. If our worship, however extravagant or however modern, cannot help us to respond to the Spirit of God with our whole heart, then it cannot be worship (in my view). Their creative talents in music were also similar within the congregations but perhaps not in style. Both congregations under the trained leaders brought a sense of unique flavor in music and worship and both were intensified into a deeper unity of praise. Personally, I encountered traditional, and charismatic in both worship services. Ventura First provided bulletins that outlined their worship order, Montebello Assemble did not. However, at Montebello Assemble the same worship order happens every Sunday, they just don't profile it. At Montebello Assemble worship began with an opening prayer, at Ventura First worship started with a call to worship followed by a very charismatic collect. After experiencing both worship service I realized that there can never be a "right" or a "wrong" style of worship, only a sincere or pretentious attitude in worship.

In this paper, if I seem to be partial towards any, do remember it is because of my preferences. You may have differing opinions. Whatever the case, let us learn the best aspects of all worship styles and use them in forming our own worship styles

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Approximate Word count = 1198
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Religion